Dark Elves
The Dark Elves are a subrace of Elves tracing their heritage to an early Elvish sect of demon-worshipers, the Thirteen Warlocks. They are primarily a subterranean species, evolved through demonic corruption to excel in the darkness of their cavern-cities. History The War of Thirteen While the Elvish Empire was at its zenith, thirteen men and women had begun to consort with beings native to the Infernal Plane. Spreading the teachings that were bestowed upon them by their demonic masters, the Thirteen Warlocks evaded the public eye by preaching primarily to citizens within the furthest reaches of the Empire. Upon mustering a sizeable force of devout warriors, the Thirteen rose up in revolt against the Empress of the Elves. In short order, the revolt was crushed but the seeds of the Thirteen had already been sown throughout the country. A period of persecution ensued, by which any individuals with real or imagined ties to the Thirteen were arrested and banished from the Empire. Exile In a policy agreed upon by the Thirteen themselves, any persecuted Elves were to be welcomed into the ranks of the refugees now seeking shelter in the black reaches of the Underdark. The survivors collectively constructed the City of Tassus and pledged their allegiance to the Thirteen, who had then established a cyclical system of rule by which the authority of the realm transitioned from Warlock to Warlock every ten years. After many transitions of power, the exiles managed to branch out and establish colonies in other places throughout the Underdark. These would evolve into independent city-states over time, each ruled by one of the Thirteen. Black Chantry The religious authority of the Thirteen Warlocks was universally acknowledged among the exiles, and a meeting of the faithful was held in Tassus. The formation of the Black Chantry was declared, and the demonic faith of the Warlocks was codified in the Book of Thirteen. The then-High Priestess of the Chantry was established as the ruler of all newly-christened Dark Elves. Death of the Thirteen As years turned to decades and decades to centuries, each of the original Thirteen Warlocks had begun to feel both the effects of old age and the consequences of consorting with demons. As their people began to mutate and change before their very eyes, so too did the Warlocks undergo a societal metamorphosis. The Thirteen gathered for one last meeting in Tassus, and collectively penned down every last detail of the Infernal Plane and its magics, of which they held immense knowledge. Following the authoring of the Black Grimoire, the Thirteen Warlocks concluded their long reign with a potent ritual, the goals of which are subject to debate for even the finest Dark Elven minds. What is known, however, is that the Warlocks were destroyed to a man in the ritual. The Schism A power vacuum had formed immediately succeeding the deaths of the Thirteen Warlocks. Petty warlords and lesser priests among the Chantry took up arms and attempted to claim individual city-states for themselves. While some succeeded, the majority failed. A bloodbath ensued, resulting the deaths of many Dark Elves. Ultimately, the Black Chantry was re-established with a set of rules regarding the appointment of a new High Priestess. While the system was not without its flaws and backdoor politicking, an age of warfare for the position had come to an end before it could even begin. The individual city-states were perhaps not so fortunate, and while almost all cities had claimed independence from the centralized rule of Tassus, petty warfare and cutthroat politics remained a core feature of Dark Elven society ever since. Society Government Language